Ukiah Planning Commission certifies Costco EIR

More than three hours into its meeting Thursday night, the Ukiah Planning Commission recommended that the Environmental Impact Report for a potential Costco store on Airport Park Boulevard be certified.

"We feel very confident that the EIR is adequate and can be recommended to the Ukiah City Council for approval," Planning Director Charley Stump told the commission after about a dozen people raised concerns about both the EIR and the project, in particular its impact on traffic and the property's wetlands.

The store would be located on 15.33 acres near the Ken Fowler Auto Center and include a bakery, pharmacy, tire center and gas station.

More than one resident suggested that the gas station be eliminated, and Commissioner Linda Sanders expressed concern about the wetlands on the Costco property and how the proposed gas station would affect them, pointing out that changes to the drainage plan would greatly lessen the impacts to them.

Others residents expressed concern about traffic congestion the project is supposed to exacerbate and how the proposed mitigations will be paid for.

"The project without the mitigation will violate the city's general plan," Daphne McNeil said.

As part of its negotiations with Costco, the city agreed to make infrastructure improvements, most notably reworking the interchange of southbound Highway 101 and Talmage Road. The city had intended to pay for the improvements with money borrowed by its former redevelopment agency, but litigation will likely be necessary for it to be allowed to use those funds.

In response to citizens who said they did not feel it was appropriate for the city to be paying for the new interchange and other improvements, Planning Director Stump said "that project is going to happen whether Costco happens or not. It is intended to help with traffic needs related to the buildout of the park.

"The city shall not issue a certificate of occupancy until the mitigations have been completed," Stump continued, and a Costco representative confirmed that the store would not open until the improvements were made.

When Commission Chairman Mike Whetzel asked if there was a timetable for the project, Stump said that was still being worked out. When Commissioner Kevin Doble said he understood the funding for that project was not 100 percent certain, Stump said that was true, but his staff was "confident that the money is there and the design will be approved by Caltrans."

The commission went on to consider two other items necessary for the approval of the project: whether to approve a rezoning request and a Statement of Overriding Considerations.

Since the EIR determines that the project will have "significant and unavoidable impacts," the commission must also determine that the project's benefits will outweigh its negatives.

The commission also approved both those items, with Commissioner Sanders casting the sole "no" vote for all of those items.